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Bridge, Thunderhouse and Viewing Deck
Reminiscent of the English countryside, the wood and stone bridge that crosses a new lake near Vaughn Road provides a romantic setting for those who drive or walk through the park. The Thunderhouse provides a shelter during an unexpected rainstorm for walkers and runners, and it offers a viewing deck and restful spot to see the weir and lake.
The park currently has three major lakes and a pond, home to many permanent and migratory wildfowl, including white and black swans. At the head of the new lake near Vaughn Road is a small rock-ledge waterfall and marshy area that includes aquatic plantings, lilies and rice. The lake is fed by a well.
Scattered throughout the park are more than a dozen outdoor sculptures which catch the interest of park visitors, students, and young artists. Among them are:
The Clove, sheet metal, 1970
Alexander Calder (1898-1976)Puck, bronze, 1985
Elizabeth MacQueenThe Puddle Jumpers, bronze, #2/15, 1989
Glenna GoodacreRescue, bronze #12/15 1999
Glenna GoodacreWynton M. Blount, bronze # 1 of 2. 1983
Charles ParksAscent, #3/40, bronze, 1989
Gary PriceUpright Form V, Stainless Steel, 1982
James RosatiGreen Pastures/Three Sheep, bronze, 1987
Mary ZimmermanIn the Museum Lake:
Kinetic Sculpture 1991-IV, 1991, stainless steel, gold leaf and aluminum
Ed Hendricks (American, b. 1952)On the Museum Grounds:
Passevent, c. 1968-69, travertine with marble base
Antoine Poncet (French, 1928-1989)New Breed, 1992-1996
12 found object sculptures made of iron and steel
Charlie Lucas, (American, b. 1951)On the Museum Terrace:
The Magic Hoop, 1988, bronze
Frank Fleming, (American, b. 1940)The Till Fountain, 1994, bronze and limestone
Frank Fleming, (American, b. 1940)
No matter what the season, families and couples find the park a great place for a picnic. Whether sitting on the grounds watching a sunset or sunrise, viewing the fowl in Swan Lake or the Museum Lake, or taking a lunch or afternoon break with the kids under the garden amphitheatre's shade trees or near the delightful aromas of the Shakespeare Garden, there are lots of places to spread a blanket or catch an open picnic table under a tree throughout the park. Many who attend weekend performances take their food from the cafes at the Museum or Festival Theatre outside between plays.Others bring picnics for a growing number of annual events in the park. Among the most recent venues for picnicking are the terraced lawn of the new lake near Vaughn Road, near the Wee Top in the center of the park, or in or on the viewing deck of the Bridge Thunderhouse. Visitors are welcomed to picnic on the terraces or under the pergolas of either the Museum or Festival Theatre. Children love to throw bread to the swans, but all guests are reminded to take away all the trash they bring with them into the park. Parking is forbidden on the roadway system, but ample parking is provided in lots throughout the park.
Picnic areas include:
Numerous trees fill the Park. Mossycup Oaks, chosen for their ability to withstand the challenging Montgomery soil, border the Park along Vaughn Road. Pin Oaks, Willow Oaks, Water Oaks, Laurel and White Oaks are placed throughout the park site. Also abundantly planted in the park are Bald Cypress, Live Oak, and Tulip Poplars. Bradford Pear trees, glorious in the early Spring, line the drive to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Roses typical of those found in Scotland abound along fence rows throughout the Park. Crapemyrtles provide summer and early fall color. Aquatic plantings at the main entrance lake include a marshy area filled with lilies and rice as well as a rock ledge waterfall.
Sunrise to sunset, the park is filled with people who enjoy walking and running through the placid park. The park has over 3.5 miles of dedicated paved trails for walkers and runners, offering magnificent vistas from unique viewpoints not available by car. The central parking area makes an excellent starting point for those enjoying the park on foot. Public restroom facilities are available next to the Shakespeare Garden.
Wee Top
"Meet me at Wee Top"
Built originally as an administrative office and model for whether or not a thatched roof building would survive in Alabama, the small, two-story structure that now sits in the heart of the park provides a meeting place for groups who want to explore the park's various sites. At the head of a new parking lot, the English-style structure with a roof thatched by workers from Ireland is surrounded by a terrace, a rock seating ledge, and landscaping. The structure and garden surrounding the building may be available as a central administrative point for groups hosting events in the park or provide a restful spot for a picnic.
